After the fiasco with nuclear workers, one might have thought DOGE would think about needs before more mass firings.
A Walk in the DOGE Park
The Wall Street Journal comments Trump’s Walk in the Park Turns Into a Stumble
Donald Trump’s hiring freeze came at a bad moment, just when the park service needed to hire temporary summer workers, and DOGE’s reforms have left some parks in disarray.
The only pilot for Alaska’s roughly 14-million-acre Wrangell-St. Elias park was fired, according to Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park lost its only plumber. Supporters of Pennsylvania’s Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site are begging for donations to feed its sheep and red devon steers.
The National Park Service has struggled for decades. According to congressional reports, even before Mr. Trump took office America’s national parks had billions of dollars in deferred maintenance of crumbling roads, outdated facilities and unrepaired trails. Intelligent budget cuts and a complete reordering of the Park Service budget is long overdue and would serve Mr. Trump’s agenda well in future years.
Take DOGE’s $1 spending limit on most government-issued credit cards. According to former officials, many parks in recent years spent through such cards instead of normal procurements. That can be fixed in future years, but for now some parks aren’t able to get supplies for the summer: broken window fixings, toilet paper, water filters.
Or consider the ping-ponging of employees this year. On Jan. 20 the president implemented a governmental hiring freeze. In response the Park Service canceled more than 2,000 job openings. On Jan. 28 the administration offered buyouts, which more than 700 park employees took. Then, on Feb. 14, the Park Service fired 1,000 probationary employees, often dubbed the “Valentine’s Day massacre.” Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California ordered them hired back on March 13. This week the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to hear an appeal. All of this has left Park Service staff demoralized and uncertain.
“This is going to be a difficult year,” says Daniel Wenk, a former superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, but he wonders how much everything in the news will actually affect tourists. “I hope it goes without a hitch.”
Phil Francis, a former superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, adds, “I’m not sure everything that’s been said is going to happen will happen.” But the situation is “still chaotic, and there’s confusion,” with different offices “handling the same situation in a little different ways. We don’t know where the priorities will be.”
Cheryl Schreier, a former superintendent of Mount Rushmore, says one reason for the chaos is that “in the Midwest region, there are only three people that have credit cards that they can actually purchase items with.”
Asked for comment, the National Park Service replied that it is “committed to advancing the Trump administration’s priorities of fiscal responsibility, operational efficiency, and government accountability.” But it also warned, “It’s always a good idea to leave your trip plan with a trusted friend,” who can “let authorities know if they haven’t heard from you.” Sound advice, especially this year.
This is a post I mentally prepared many weeks ago, without any details, because it is what I excepted.
But after the fiasco of firing then rehiring hundreds of nuclear workers, I thought there was a chance DOGE would learn something about firing first then aiming later, if at all.
The lines at national parks are horrendous. It can take many hours to get into Zion NP, near me. Arches NP is even worse.
I am a firm believer in making people who use services, pay for them.
If parks are losing money, raise the fee instead of closing trails and making people wait hours to get in.
It is a political disaster to piss off millions of people, ruining their vacations.
Appeals Court Rules for Trump
Please note Appeals Court clears the way for Musk, DOGE to resume cuts to USAID
A federal appeals court on Friday cleared the way for Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency to resume their efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The ruling from a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a lower-court judge’s injunction that had temporarily blocked Musk and DOGE from playing any role in dismantling USAID.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, a Maryland-based appointee of President Barack Obama, ruled that Musk and his DOGE allies were likely exercising an unconstitutional amount of power because Musk has not been formally appointed to a Senate-confirmed position. He blocked Musk and DOGE from proceeding with USAID cuts.
All three judges on the 4th Circuit panel agreed that Chuang’s block should be lifted, though they did not all agree on the reasoning.
Judge Marvin Quattlebaum, a Trump appointee on the appeals court, wrote that Musk’s actions are not unconstitutional because he is a valid presidential adviser, and his efforts to cut USAID were approved by officials with direct authority over the agency.
Judge Roger Gregory, an appointee of President Bill Clinton, agreed with the end result — lifting Chuang’s injunction — but disagreed strongly with the rationale.
He wrote that Musk likely has been operating in violation of the Constitution’s appointments clause and that the dismantling of USAID likely violates the “express will” of Congress. But he said Musk and DOGE were not the appropriate defendants in the case. In his view, the plaintiffs — various USAID employees and contractors — should have sued officials with formal authority over the agency.
This is not that unexpected nor does it contradict what I said.
The name of the department does not matter. What does matter is whether money officially approved by Congress will get spent.
People without standing filed the suit. If and when those with standing have funds cut, Trump will lose those cases.
USAID Cancellation by Trump, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Details
I discussed this in USAID Cancellation by Trump, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Details
The Good
Rooting out fraud and ridiculous unauthorized payments is good. Moreover, there is grounds to fire everyone who sent out checks without questioning a single one.
The lead image is a great example. In addition there is $8.2 million payments to Politico.
And there is strong evidence that Politico was paid to suppress stories on Hunter and Joe Biden.
The unseen is undoubtedly worse. It’s good to root out all of this fraud and corruption and prosecute when appropriate.
The Bad
Sorry DOGE, but a blanket cancellation of all payments is unconstitutional.
I get it from both the Left and Right because I want both parties to follow the law.
The Ugly
Elon Musk has no power to do anything but advise the President and make recommendations.
Musk, the head of Trump’s government efficiency initiative, announced the shutdown in the middle of the night in an audio-only appearance on his social media site X.
But Musk has no power to shut down anything.
No one should defend this because the only legitimate role of DOGE is to make recommendations.
If you disagree then please tell me how you would have felt if Biden authorized George Soros access to the system to shut down payments he disagreed with.
Hypocrites make excuses. I don’t.
There probably won’t be an appeal on the basis of standing. But I do suspect more cases with proper standing.
Any payments explicitly funded by Congress will eventually get paid.
In case you missed it, please see DOGE Makes Huge Mistake Firing Nuclear Workers, Now Seeks to Rehire Them
When you fire people without understanding what they even do, you make big mistakes.
No one wants to discuss why approximately 350 employees were fired only to rescind all but 50.
I would want to sweep this under the rug too.
Musk may be a genius. I think he is. Look no further than Space X.
But Musk is also an idiot as this shows. DOGE is still in a cut first, think about it later mode, assuming there is any DOGE thinking at all.
And now DOGE is about to hit the national parks. It’s likely legal, but it’s politically very stupid.